Room terminal cabinet construction



Dec. 12, 1967 w. B. TOPER 3,357,

ROOM TERMINAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 10, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

FIG. 2

INVENTOR. WALTER B. TOPER.

"kW/(M ATTORNEY.

Dec. 12,1967 w. B. TOPER ROOM TERMINAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1965 I INVENTOR.

WALTER B. TOPER.

TEI

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 12, 1967 w. B. TOPER 3,357,763

ROOM TERMINAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed D80. 10, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 3s 36 35 \%%35 he j. 24% ,280 27,--

In H 8 INVENTOR.

WALTER B. TOPER.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 12, 1967 w, TQPER 3,357,763

ROOM TERMINAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 10, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. WALTER B. TOPER.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 12, 1967 3,357,763 ROOM TERMINAL CABINET CONSTRUCTIGN Walter B. Toper, Syracuse, N .Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 512,871 Claims. (Cl. 312-236) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Room terminal cabinet shell in which top panel and rear panel are L-shaped, clip members on top panel engaging releaseable fasteners to facilitate installation of air conditioning unit and bottom panel hingedly fastened to side panels, panels being secured together by tongue and groove connections.

This invention relates to an air conditioning assembly and, more particularly, to a suspended air conditioning assembly including a cabinet and an air conditioning unit mounted in the cabinet.

The invention is embodied in an air conditioning assembly in which a cabinet is suspended from a ceiling or other overhead support and a room terminal base unit is removably mounted in the cabinet.

Installation of suspended or overhead air conditioning equipment often presents unique problems because of the overhead work involved, and easily operated mounts are therefore desirable. However, mounts which will adequately support the base unit in the cabinet after the assembly has been operatively installed may be unsatisfactory for shipping, in part because the assembly may be positioned in other than the normal working position and, handling or jolts in shipping may cause the base unit to move relative to the cabinet, particularly if the mounts are of a type easily manipulated in operatively mounting the assembly in suspended position.

It is common practice to construct such cabinets with permanent connections, such as spot welds, between the various cabinet panels. When this is done, it is generally necessary to discard the entire cabinet should it become damaged, and it is often necessary to completely dismount the air conditioning assembly in order to replace the cabinet and, such replacement is expensive.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved air conditioning assembly and, more particularly, a suspended air conditioning assembly including an air conditioning unit and a cabinet in which the unit is mounted. A related object is to provide a new and improved mounting for the unit in the cabinet. Another related object is provision of an improved mounting for a filter of the base unit.

Another object is to provide a new and improved cabinet for mounting an air conditioning unit and, more particularly, such a cabinet which may be more economically manufactured and repaired. A related object is provision of such a cabinet in which various panels are releaseably and securely interlocked and may be readily replaced should a panel become damaged.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of a suspended air conditioning assembly including a cabinet encasing an air conditioning unit;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 but with a bottom access panel of the cabinet open to expose the air conditioning unit;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken generally along line IIIIII in FIGURE FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, vertical sectional side view taken generally along line IV-IV in FIGURE 2, with parts broken away for clearer illustration;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the air conditioning unit mounted in the cabinet in shipping position, to a reduced scale;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, vertical sectionalview of a modified air outlet grill for the cabinet, to a reduced scale;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a top and rear panel section of the cabinet;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a side panel section of the cabinet; and

FIGURE 9 is an exploded, top perspective view of a modified form of the cabinet, with parts broken away for clearer illustration.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates an air conditioning assembly 10 including a sheet metal cabinet 11 viewed in typical suspended position as if mounted on a ceiling. The cabinet 11 includes a bottom access panel 12 having a stamped air inlet grill 13 at its rear end 14, and a front side panel 15 having a stamped air outlet grill 16. In FIGURE 2, the bottom panel 12 has been released at its rear end by removing a pair of bolts 17 (FIGURE 1) and pivoted downwardly about a hinge connection 18 to expose an air conditioning unit 19 illustrated in the form of a room terminal base unit. The base unit 19 includes a sheet metal casing 19a (FIGURE 4) mounting a heat exchange coil 19b and a blower 19c for circulating air from the inlet grill 13 through the cas ing 19a and the coil 1% and then through the outlet grill 16.

A shell 20 of the cabinet includes an L-shaped section 21 (FIGURES 4- and 7) in which a sheet is bent to provide a top panel 22 and a rear side panel 23 perpendicular to each other. The shell 20 further includes a side panel section 24 (FIGURE 8) bent from a sheet to provide three side panels 25 including the front side panel 15 having the air discharge grill 16, and a pair of opposed side end panels 26 and 27 bent normal to the front panel, as may best be'seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 8. The bottom panel 12 fits flush with flat bottom flanges 28 of return portions on lower edges of the side panels 25 and upper ends of the end panel return portions carry inwardly directed flanges 28a .and stiffen the side panels. Tongue and groove connections 29, as may best be seen in FIGURE 3, releasably interlock the top panel 22 and the tops of the side panels 25. These tongue and groove connections 29 include tongues or flanges 30 (FIGURE 8) extending inwardly normal to the bodies 31 of the side panels 25, and grooves 32 along the front and opposed end edge portions of the top panel 22. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 7, the edge portions of the top panel 22 are bent upon themselves to abut the body 33 of the top panel and are then bent in general U-shape with the legs 35 of the U spaced apart to form the grooves 32 opening outwardly of the edge portions of the top panel. The tongues 30, as well as the groove forming means, serve to stiffen the panels. The free ends of the end side panels 26 and 27 shown in FIGURE 8, have inwardly directed flanges 35, each with a pair of vertically spaced holes 36 for receiving suitable fastening means such as sheet metal screws 37 (FIG- URES 2 and 4) extending through cooperating holes 38 (FIGURE 7) in opposite ends of the rear panel 23 for securing the rear panel to the side panel section 24 after the tongue and groove connections 29 between the side panels 25 and the top panel 22 have been mated.

The bottom panel 12 has an inwardly extending flange 39 about its rear and end edge portions to stiffen the body of the panel with portions thereof closely proximate the end side panel flanges 28a and is movably mounted on the cabinet shell 20 by means of the two bolts 17 at its rear end, and at its front end by the hinge connection 18, as may best be seen in FIGURE 4. The horizontal flange 28 which extends rearwardly from the lower edge portion of a body portion 41 of the front panel 15 terminates in a vertical extending lip 42 which provides a knife upper edge 43 (FIGURE 8). The front edge portion of the bottom panel 12 has an upwardly extending flange or offset 44 terminating in a forwardly extending generally horizontal flange 45, in the closed position of the bottom panel. A return or hook-shaped portion 46 extends from the front edge of the horizontal flange into the space between the body 41 of the front panel 15 and its vertical lip 42. When the bottom panel 12 is in its closed position, its vertical flange 44 is parallel and adjacent to the lip 42 to prevent the return portion 46 striking panel body 41. The bottom panel horizontal flange 45 rests on the knife edge 43. The securing bolts 17 are received in threaded apertures in a horizontal flange 47 (FIGURE 4) extending forwardly from the upper part of a return portion 48 on the lower edge portion of the rear panel 23. This return portion 48 stiffens the rear panel 23 and the horizontal flange 47 provides a seat for the top of the horizontal flange 39 extending upwardly from the rear of the bottom panel.

With the two securing bolts 17 removed, the bottom panel 12 may pivot downwardly about its hinge connection 18 and the bottom panel horizontal flange 45 slides across the front panel knife edge 43 until the return portion 46 seats on the knife edge 43 with the bottom panel 12 hanging straight down from the cabinet shell, as shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 4. The offset 44 of the top panel 12 is now parallel the horizontal flange 28 of the front panel 15 and the spacing between the offset 44 and the free end of the return portion 46 is such that the bottom panel 12 cannot be lifted upwardly to unseat the return portion from the knife edge 43. In order. to remove the bottom panel 12, it is moved to an intermediate posi tion generally at about 45 to the shell, as also shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 4, whereupon the offset 44 is rearward of the vertical flange 42 of the front panel 15 and the bottom panel may be lifted straight up at the hinge 18 to raise the return portion 46 above the knife edge 43 of the front panel, whereupon the bottom panel may be moved rearwardly and removed from the cabinet shell 20. Thus, in normal swinging movement of the bottom panel 12 about the hinge 18 between the closed and open positions, it does not disengage its hinged connection, but the bottom panel may be easily removed or attached to the shell as described above.

The base unit 19 is mounted in the cabinet for shipping and for use by means of four clips, two front clips 50 fixed to the inner face of the top panel 22 as by spot welding 51, and two removable clips 52 secured to the top panel 22 as by bolts 53, one passing through each of a pair of first holes 54 (FIGURE 7), in operative position of the unit. Each clip has a base 55 seated on the inner face of the top panel 22 and a lip 56 offset downwardly from the base 55 when the base unit 19 is operatively mounted in the cabinet 11, as shown in FIGURE 4. If there is adequate access room above the top panel 22 the bolts 53 may receive nuts seated on the upper face of the top panel, or a screw or other anchor may be seated in a ceiling or other portion of the structure in which the air conditioning assembly is installed. The clip lips 56 at either end of the base unit engage the underside of a flange 58 extending outwardly from the adjacent end of the base unit 19. As shown in FIGURE 5, for shipping the assembly the rear clips 52 are reversed so that these clip bases 55 engage the underside of the base unit flanges 58 and the bolts 53 extend upwardly, one through a slot 59in each of the cooperating flanges 58 and through each of a pair of second holes 59a (FIGURE 7) in the top panel, and are secured in place by a nut. Movement of the base unit from front to rear of the cabinet during shipping is prevented by passing the bolts 53 through the slots 59. The clips 50 and 52 are closely proximate end walls of the base unit 19 to prevent movement of the unit from side to side relative to the cabinet 11.

Upon unpacking the air conditioning assembly for installation, the bottom panel 12 is removed. The bolts 53 are removed from the rear clips 52 and the base unit 19 is moved rearwardly to unseat the front ends of the base unit flanges 58 from the front fixed clips 59, whereupon the unit may be removed from the cabinet shell. The cabinet shell 20 may now be suspended from a portion of the building structure by any suitable means (not shown), for example by four hanger rods each extending through one of four holes 60 in corners of the top panel 22 (FIGURE 7) with nuts on the lower ends of the hangers receiving the inner face of the top panel, or by bolts or screws extending upwardly through the four holes 60 and anchored in a portion of the building structure. The base unit 19 may now be operatively installed in the cabinet shell 20. The removable rear clips 52 are mounted on the bolts 53 or other releaseable fastening means eX- tending through the rear pair of holes 54 in the top panel and are preferably positioned 90 from the position shown in FIGURE 4 so that the front end portions of the base unit flanges 58 may be seated on the lips 56 of the fixed front clips 50. The rear clips 52 are then rotated to the position shown in FIGURE 4 and the bolts 53 are tightened to secure the base unit 19 in the cabinet shell 20.

A filter 61 for inlet air is directly above the grill 13 in the bottom panel 12 and is normally held in place by the closed bottom panel. However, when the bottom panel 12 is lowered, a spring wire retainer 62 holds the filter 61 in place. With reference to FIGURES 2 and 4, the spring wire retainer 62 has a generally V-shaped intermediate portion 63 which seats against the bottom face of the filter 61. Ends of the retainer extend upwardly generally normal to the intermediate portion 63 and form return portions 64 seated on an upper edge of a generally vertical flange 65 and embracing opposite sides of this flange which is a rear Wall portion of a drain pan 66 of the base unit 19.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the use of a removable adjustable air outlet grill 67 in lieu of the fixed grill 16 stamped in the front panel 15. The grill 67 may be secured in place in any suitable manner as by metal screws (not shown) extending through the edge portions of the grill and seated in apertures in the front panel 15. Suitable insulation and gasket material may be provided to seal the grill edge portion and the front panel 15 and the base unit.

FIGURE 9 is a top exploded view of another embodiment of the cabinet shell in which the L-shaped section 21 including the top panel 22 and the rear panel 23 is the same as that previously described. However, side panels 70, 71 and 72 are each separate from the other and the bottom edge portions 73 of these panels and front vertical edge portions 74 of the front side panel 70 are curved rather than square as in the previous embodiment. The tongue and groove connections 29 between the side panels 70-72 and the top panel 22, and the connections between the rear panel 23 and the side end panels 71 and 72 are the same as those previously described. In this embodiment, the opposite ends of the front panel 70 are provided with an inwardly extending flange 75, and the end side panels 71 and 72 have similar flanges 76, adjacent flanges 75 and 76 being provided with suitable holes 77 for receiving metal screws 78 or the like to secure the front panel 70 to the end side panels 71 and 72. A pair of tabs 80 extend generally horizontally from each end of a front panel vertical lip 81. The lip 81 provides a knife edge 82 of a hinge connection, all substantially the same as the lip 42 and the knife edge 43 of previously described hinge connection 29. The bottom panel hinge connection flange 45 and return portion 46 may be shortened slightly at either end to fit between the tabs 80 and maintain the bottom panel properly centered.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An air conditioning assembly comprising an air conditioning unit, a cabinet including a shell adapted to be mounted in a suspended position for receiving said air conditioning unit and including a top panel and side panels depending from said top panel, a first of said side panels being integral with said top panel and therewith forming an L-shaped section, and means releascably interlocking the other said panels and said L-shaped section to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the cabinet shell, said cabinet including a normally closed bottom panel adapted to be opened for servicing the air conditioning unit and for installing the unit in the cabinet and removing the unit from the cabinet, means mounting said bottom panel. on said cabinet shell for movement between closed and open positions, and means removably mounting said air conditioning unit in said cabinet, the bottom panel mounting means comprising hinge means between said bottom panel and at least one of said side panels, and said hinge means retaining said bottom panel attached to said shell in said closed and open positions and during normal movement between said positions and permitting removal of said bottom panel only in an intermediate position between said closed and open positions.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said hinge means comprises a generally vertical lip on one of said other side panels and said lip being spaced from the body of said one panel and having an upper edge, a generally horizontal flange extending outwardly from said bottom panel and resting on the lip edge when said bottom panel is in said closed position, and a return portion extending across the outer end of said flange and downwardly along said lip when said bottom panel is in said closed position, and said return portion being interlocked with said lip edge when said bottom panel is in said open position to suspend said bottom panel from said shell.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 in which said flange extends from an offset portion of said bottom panel, said offset being adjacent and generally parallel to a side of said lip opposite said return portion when said bottom panel is in said closed position, and when said bottom panel is in said open position said offset being below said lip to prevent said return portion disengaging said lip upon upward movement of said return portion, and in said intermediate position said oflset being alongside said lip to permit said return portion to be raised above said lip edge to remove said bottom panel from said shell.

4. An assembly according to claim 8 in which said clips are seated against said top panel and each said clip has an offset space downwardly from said top panel, said first and second portions of said air conditioning unit comprise opposite end portions of a flange, one of the flange end portions received by each of the respective clip offsets.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 in which said second portions of said top panel includes first and second spaced apart means for selectively positioning said fastener means with said second clip receiving the second end portion of said flange, and said flange has receiving means associated with said first means adapted to receive said fastener means with said fastener means in a first position holding said flange against substantial movement relative to said second clip, and said second means adapted to receive said fastener means for movement of said second clip away from said second portion of said flange to facilitate installing and removing said unit from said shell.

6. An air conditioning assembly comprising an air conditioning unit, an overhead support for mounting said air conditioning unit, and means removably mounting said air conditioning unit on said support and including a clip fixed to said support and having an offset spaced downwardly from said support, a first portion of said unit seated on said offset, a second clip spaced from said first clip and having an offset spaced downwardly from said support, a second portion of said unit seated on the second clip offset when the first portion of said unit is seated on the fixed clip offset, and releasable fastener means movably mounting said second clip on said support to facilitate installing said first portion of the unit on said fixed clip offset and removing the last said portion from said fixed clip.

7. An assembly according to claim 6 in which said,

first and second portions of said air conditioning unit comprise opposite end portions of a flange, said second portion of said supportincludes first and second spaced apart means for selectively positioning said fastener,

means with said second clip receiving the second end portion of said flange, and said flange has receiving means associated with said first means adapted to receive said fastener means with said fastener means holding said flange against substantial movement relative to said support, and said second means adapted to receive said fastener means spaced from said unit and for movement of said second clip away from said second portion of said flange to facilitate installing and removing said unit on said support.

8. An air conditioning assembly comprising an air conditioning unit, a cabinet including a shell adapted to be mounted in a suspended position for receiving said air conditioning unit and including a top panel and side panels depending from said top panel, a first of said side panels being integral with said top panel and therewith forming an L-shaped section, and means releasably interlocking the other said panels and said L-shaped section to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the cabinet shell, said cabinet including a normally closed bottom panel adapted to be opened for servicing the air conditioning unit and for installing the unit in the cabinet and removing the unit from the cabinet, means mounting said bottom panel on said cabinet shell for movement between closed and open positions, means removably mounting said air conditioning unit in said cabinet, the air conditioning unit mounting means including a clip fixed to said shell at a first portion of said top panel, a first portion of said unit being seated on said clip, a second clip at a second portion of said top panel spaced from said first portion, a second portion of said unit seated on said second clip when the first portion of said unit is seated on the fixed clip, and releasable fastener means movably mounting said second clip to facilitate installing said first portion of the unit on said fixed clip and removing the last said portion from said fixed clip.

9. An air conditioning assembly comprising an air conditioning unit, a cabinet including a shell adapted to be mounted in a suspended position for receiving said air conditioning unit and including a top panel and side panels depending from said top panel, a first of said side panels being integral with said top panel and therewith forming an L-shaped section, and means releasably interlocking the other said panels and said L-shaped section to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the cabinet shell, said cabinet including a normally closed bottom panel adapted to be opened for servicing the air conditioning unit and for installing the unit in the cabinet and removing the unit from the cabinet, means mounting said bottom panel on said cabinet shell for movement between closed and open positions, means removably mounting said air conditioning unit in said cabinet, 21 filter retained between said air conditioning unit and said bottom panel when said bottom panel is in said closed position, said air conditioning unit having a generally vertical flange with a free upper end, and a spring wire filter retainer having an intermediate portion engaging said filter to retain the filter in position when said bottom panel is in said open position and ,said retainer having downwardly opening return-poo tions, one on either endof said intermediate portion, said return portions each extending over said upper end of said flange and snugly embracing the sides of said flange for operatively mounting said retainer on said air conditioning unit.

10. An air conditioning assembly comprisingan, air conditioning unit, a cabinet including a shell adapted to be mounted in a suspended position for receiving said air conditioning unit and including a top panel and side panels depending from said top panel, a first of said side panels being integral with said top panel and therewith forming an L-shaped section, and means releasably interlocking the other said panels and said L-shaped section to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the cabinet shell, said cabinet including a normally closed bottom panel adapted to be opened for servicing the air conditioning unit and for installing the unit in the cabinet and removing the unit from the cabinet, means mounting said bottom panel on said cabinet shell for movement between closed and open positions, means removably mounting said air conditioning unit in said cabinet, the interlocking means comprising releasable tongue and groove connections including edge portions of said top panel bent to provide return bends forming the grooves, and flanges transverse to body portions of said other panels providing the tongues, the air conditioning unit mounting means including first and second end portions of a flange of said air conditioning unit, a clip fixedly seated on said top panel, the first end portion of said flange removably seated on said clip, a second clip at a second portion of said top panel spaced from said first clip, the second end portion of said flange seated on said second clip with the first end portion seated on the fixed clip when the unit is mounted in the cabinet, and releasable fastener means movably mounting said second clip to facilitate installing said first end portion on said fixed clip, said second portion of said top panel including first and second spaced apart means for selectively positioning said fastener means With said second clip receiving the second end portion of said flange, and said flange has receiving means associated with said first means adapted to receive said fastener means for holding said flange against substantial movement relative to said top panel, and said second means being spaced from said flange and adapted to receive said fastener means and retain said second clip for movement away from said second end portion of said flange to facilitate installing and removing said unit in said shell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,888,730 11/1932 Madison -126ll0 1,944,687 1/1934 Henderson 312 -245 X 2,515,876 7/1950 Kauffman 312 258X- 2,527,226 10/1950 Levine 312-257 X 2,658,101 11/1953 Coxe 312 -257x 2,747,377 5/1956 Lowensohn 624 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AIR CONDITIONING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, A CABINET INCLUDING A SHELL ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A SUSPENDED POSITION FOR RECEIVING SAID AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND INCLUDING A TOP PANEL AND SIDE PANELS DEPENDING FROM SAID TOP PANEL A FIRST OF SAID PANELS BEING INTEGRAL WITH SAID TOP PANEL AND THEREWITH FORMING AN L-SHAPED SECTION, AND MEANS RELEASEBLY INTERLOCKING THE OTHER SAID PANELS AND SAID L-SHAPED SECTION TO FACILITATE ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY OF THE CABINET SHELL, SAID CABINET INCLUDING A NORMALLY CLOSED BOTTOM PANEL ADAPTED TO BE OPENED FOR SERVICING THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND FOR INSTALLING THE UNIT IN THE CABINET AND REMOVING THE UNIT FROM THE CABINET, MEANS MOUNTING SAID BOTTOM PANEL ON SAID CABINET SHELL FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN CLOSED AND OPEN POSITIONS, AND MEANS REMOVABLY MOUNTING SAID AIR CONDITIONING UNIT IN SAID CABINET, THE BOTTOM PANEL MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING HINGE MEANS BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM PANEL AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS, AND SAID HINGE MEANS RETAINING SAID BOTTOM PANEL ATTACHED TO SAID SHELL IN SAID CLOSED AND OPEN POSITIONS AND DURING NORMAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS AND PERMITTING REMOVAL OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL ONLY IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION BETWEEN SAID CLOSED AND OPEN POSITIONS. 